Toy unicycle riding monkey



June 28, 1960 H. o. BUCKEY TOY UNICYCLE RIDING MONKEY Filed Feb. 17,1958 E 4 /IIIIIA :11.

V V 2,942,381 I TOY 'UNICYCLE RIDING MONKEY Hiram 0. Buckey, 831Railroad Sh, Caldwell, Ohio Filed Feb. 17, 1958, ser. No. 115,714 3Claims. c1. 46-247 This inventionrelates to amusement devices andmoreparticularly to an animated toy.

It an object of the present invention to provide an animated toy that isof extremely novel construction and of amusement value to children andadults alike.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an animated monkeythat can be selectively propelled by gravity along a flexible' cord orfurther provided with a battery operated motor for propelling it along acontinuous circuitous path of rigid rod support members.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an animated monkey bearingthe above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimumnumber of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an animated monkey made inaccordance with one form of the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a rigid rod support memberforming a part of a modified form of construction;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, with parts broken away,showing the connection of certain ones of the elements shown in Figures3 and 4.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly toFigures 1 and 2 thereof, an animated toy monkey made in accordance withthe present invention is shown to include a main body portion 12simulating the torso of the animal and having an enlargedweighteddepending tail 13 to provide proper balance therefor, as will behereinafter described. A pulley type drive wheel 15 having a peripheralgroove 18 is rotatably supported upon a shaft 16 that is carried by thedepending hands 17 of the body portion 12. A pair of legs 19 areprovided in which one end of each such leg is pivotally connected to acrank arm 20 at opposite sides of the drive wheel and located atdiametrically opposed portions thereof. The opposite ends of the legs 19are rotatably secured to one end of associated thigh members 21 by meansof pins 22, while the opposite ends of these thigh members are rotatablymounted upon the main body portion 12 by means of structure similar pins23. The tail portion of the simulated animal is "also provided with aslot 24 at the level of the bottom side of the drive wheel 15 forreceiving a flexible rope or cord 25 therethrough.

In actual use, the monkey may be mounted upon the cord 25 in the mannershown in Figures 1 and 2, whereupon .it assumes the position of a monkeyriding a bi 2,942,331 Patented June 28, 1960 ICE cycle along a rope.Because of the pivotal conn'ection between each of the thigh, leg andcrank arms, a downward inclination of the cord 25 will cause the monkeyto be propelled downwardly therealong by gravity. As gravity draws themonkey downwardly,the wheel 15 will rotate with the cord guided withinthe peripheral groove 18, thus eifecting animation of the legs andthighs of the monkey, thus further simulating a monkey riding a bicycle.I

The device may also be provided with a motor 30 having a drive shaft 31for rotating a friction drive wheel 33 which is in driving engagementwith the periphery of the wheel 15. Thus, in response to energization ofthe motor 30. by means of flashlight batteries 34 carried upon the mainbody portion of the monkey and being connected by means of a cable 32,the monkey can be electrically propelled along any desired member, suchas the cord 25 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or a rigid rod 35 carriedupon a plurality of spaced apart column supports 36, as shown in Figures3 and 4. Since, in this embodiment, the device is battery propelled, therod 35 need not extend continuously downwardly, but may follow asubstantially horizontal, or even slightly upwardly inclined path. Tofacilitate the installation and alteration of the path, the monorail 35is preferably provided with recesses 37 in each end for receiving pinconnectors 38, as shown in Figure 5, whereby the sections may be readilyconnected and disconnected at will.

It will thus be recognized that an amusementdevice .based on basicprinciples has beenprovided in various forms, all of which provide thesame animated effect of a monkey pedaling a particular device. This typeof amusement device is particularly useful for large groups of childrensince it can be used for extensive tricks and stunts of great amusementvalue.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. An animated amusement device for traveling along a flexible ropesupport inclined relative to a horizontal plane while it maintains avertical position comprising, in combination, a flexible rope support, asimulated animal body having a single depending integral tail, two legs,two thighs and two integral rigid depending arms, a cylindrical shaftrotatably carried by the lower end portions of said arms, a pulley typedrive wheel having a peripheral groove secured upon the intermediateportion of said shaft and between said arms for traveling upon saidflexible rope support, a pair of crank arms connected with the Oppositeends of said shaft with the free ends thereof extending in oppositedirections, said,

thighs pivotally connected at one end to said body adjacent the point ofjunction of said tail with said body, the opposite ends of said thighsbeing pivotally connected to one end of each of said legs, the oppositeends of said legs being pivotally connected to the free ends of saidcrank arms whereby each of said legs are connected to diametricallyopposite sides of said wheel and on opposite faces thereof, said body,legs and thighs substantially disposed to the rear of a vertical planepassing through said shaft rotatably carried by said arms whereby thecenter of gravity thereof is to the rear of said shaft, said tailextending downwardly and forward- "ly below said wheel and in front ofsaid vertical plane mass to provide proper balance to the amusementdevice by efie'c'tin'g the "center 'of gravity "of "the entire device tobe below said shaft and said wheel mounted thereon and theupper portionof said tail ha ving a horiioritall slot at the le'velfb'f theb'gi'ttdmsidefo f the drivewhe'el'fdr r'ecivfn'gsaid iiirible'ropesiibfor't'therethrough. a

2. Ato'y in'clu"iigEmahifiiifd body, ai1 'iiitegfa1 tail, integral'arriis, and movable leg fifiemlierjs p'ivfdtallyeonnected to the bodand isup eiiedfth reby, a igr'boved wheel met-mien {6r traiieliiigiipona fligibk'i'dfie'ktiiiiidft, a crank pas'sing d rou'gh "t'hegr'o'ove dwheel and f secured rigidly thereto and presenting crankmembersonoiapbsite sides of mannered-wired, "a pair 6frigid'arnisdepending from the forward "pobtitin'offi said hody,"the"interi fe aifie portion or s' aid'crank rot'atablycarried by the rowerend portions bf isaid arm-exten ing on opposite sides of said wheel,said leg "injml'affs 'inchiding a iiair 1 of thighs a' pair of legs,"said "pair of thighs fpi'v'otially conneeted at one erid thereoftbjth'e lower rear por i'en of saidhddy, the oppositefends ofsiaidthighsfeach'pivot'ally 'oofih'eiited to 'one ehdofo'fie ofsaid legs,theopp'ositeefids' ofsaid legs be'ing'iaivotally 'conneted to thecrwalks 'o h the a1;- posite sides of 't'hegrooved 'wheel'r'esp'edtively, said "tail extending diiwi'iv'siardly axmrarwarmy belowand in -firont of said wheel, said tail having a horizontal slotextending "theffliroiigh "tore 'ive said "rape siiplidrt, are center ofgravity of said body and leg members being to the rear of said wheel,the terminal end of said tail being weighted whereby the center ofgravity of said tail is to the front of said wheel, and whereby thecenter of gravity of the entire toy is directly below said wheel andwhereby said body maintains a vertial pdsition.

3. The combination aecording to claim 2, further comprising afiiotorafid' liattei is, said niotor receiving electricaLenergyfiom saidbatteries-for efiecting' rotation of said wheel, and said elongatedsupport comprising a rigid France Mar. 1,1955

